Families and children

Adult Mental HealthHuman Services Department
The Adult Mental Health Division works to ensure that programs and services are available throughout Minnesota. People may need assistance in a variety of areas, such as employment, housing, social connections, family relations and other co-occurring conditions

Autism Spectrum DisordersEducation Department
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is also known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders. Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) offers access to resources such as the Minnesota Autism Project and Network and additional information regarding autism and related disorders.

Early Hearing Detection and IdentificationHealth Department
Universal hearing screening is becoming a standard of care for newborns in Minnesota, which has voluntary screening. In Minnesota, four babies are born every week with congenital hearing loss. Research has shown that early intervention by six months of age can significantly impact a child's success with language and cognitive development.

Emergency Food ProgramsHuman Services Department
Department of Human Service's Office of Economic Opportunity emergency food programs are delivered by community-based, advocacy organizations and food shelves around the state of Minnesota. The programs aim to provide food to low-income individuals and families through Minnesota Food Shelves, soup kitchens, and other on-site meal programs.

Family Support Grant ProgramHuman Services Department
The Family Support Grant program provides state cash grants to families of children with certified disabilities. The goal of the program is to prevent or delay the out-of-home placement of children with disabilities and promote family health and social well-being by facilitating access to family-centered services and supports.

Fetal Alcohol SyndromeHealth Department
The purpose of the Minnesota Department of Health Alcohol Exposed Pregnancy Prevention (AEPP) project is to help women prevent the consequences of drinking alcohol and not using effective birth control.

Food Assistant ProgramsHuman Services Department
With proper nutrition, children learn more easily, adults work more productively and seniors are healthier. There are programs to help people buy food, as well as plants and seeds to grow their own food.

Foster CareHuman Services Department
Children need to feel safe and nurtured in order to learn and grow. Foster parents provide for the childís educational, health, cultural and social needs. Foster parents bring children to doctor appointments, participate in the childís education and attend cultural events in the community.

Interstate Compact on the Placement of ChildrenHuman Services Department
Minnesota's Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (Minnesota Statute 260.851) ensures that children in need of out-of-home placement to and from other states receive the same protections guaranteed to the children placed in care within Minnesota. This includes uniform guidelines and procedures to ensure that the placements take place in ways that promote the best interests of the child.

Minnesota Family Planning ProgramHuman Services Department
Minnesota men and women between the ages of 15 and 50 are eligible for family planning services through the Minnesota Family Planning Program. The services are for people who are not enrolled in Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP) and are available through MHCP providers. Certified Minnesota Family Planning Program providers can grant enrollees short-term eligibility.

MinnesotaHelp.infoAging BoardHuman Services Department
The MinnesotaHelp.info web site was developed cooperatively by the Minnesota Board on Aging and the Department of Human Services. It is an online directory of services designed to help people in Minnesota identify resources such as human services, information and referral, financial assistance, and other forms of aid and assistance within Minnesota. It is especially rich in resource information for seniors and their caregivers, disabled and their caregivers, parents and families, and low-income people.

Rehabilitation Act: Section 504Education Department
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act - Section 504 is a federal civil rights statute that assures individuals that they will not be discriminated against based upon their disability. Any learner with a disability, whether or not they receive special education services, is protected. Because all school districts receive federal funding, they are responsible for implementation of this law.